Thanks for the kind words, Tim.
I too LOVE the sound of a stand-up bass on omni speakers. While i'm currently not using planars or stat's, i do have speakers that appear to be "boxless" in terms of sonics and imagery. The sound is so "there" and "wet" with the correct timbre that it gives you goose bumps and just draws you into the performance.
Ne1sjay had a good idea ( in some ways ). Limiting yourself to things that you CAN work with in terms of affordability and room placement CAN make life a lot simpler and narrow down your choices. Personally, i like to dream and then acquire : )
You already seem to have taken into consideration the pitfalls of planar's. No real deep bass ( but hey, the $37,000 Krell's don't have it either), limited volume capability, the need for a healthy / sturdy amp, etc... No need to go there again. I will remind you about room placement though. These work best slightly spread apart but with ample room on all sides and some attention to room treatments. If you can't get them out into the room ( probably well into the "traffic area" ), you'll never get optimum results.
As to your other options such as Martin Logan's, etc... i have to agree. The models that i recently heard ( just like you, can't remember the model ) sounded pretty poor. While i KNOW the installation was FAR from optimum, i couldn't believe just how bad they sounded. Not only was the top end NOT open, the bass was bloated and "thuddy". If someone from M/L is reading this, you BETTER start dropping in on your dealers to see how badly they are killing your product.
With that in mind, i would look at the 1.6's and subs rather than the bigger 3.6's running solo. This will make placement a LITTLE easier for the panels while increasing the speakers versatility for your specific listening tastes and habits. By running the subs, you'll not feel the need to crank it up as much simply because the sound will be MUCH fuller at lower levels. Dynamic range and maximum sustained SPL can be increased due to the panels not having to make long excursions to cover the extreme bottom end. That is, IF crossed over before the amplifier. This can be done either actively or passively without a lot of fuss.
No first hand experience with what subs would work best here, so i would have to divert you to someone else. General consensus is that the Rel's seem to work good with "panels". You might also look for something with a small woofer ( 8" or so ) that is in a transmission line or larger woofer ( 10" or 12" ) in a sealed low Q design. All of the above would offer the very tight, clean and quick bass that you're looking for.
RGD's suggestion of popping over to the Planar Asylum is also a good suggestion. Just don't forget us back here : ) Sean
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I too LOVE the sound of a stand-up bass on omni speakers. While i'm currently not using planars or stat's, i do have speakers that appear to be "boxless" in terms of sonics and imagery. The sound is so "there" and "wet" with the correct timbre that it gives you goose bumps and just draws you into the performance.
Ne1sjay had a good idea ( in some ways ). Limiting yourself to things that you CAN work with in terms of affordability and room placement CAN make life a lot simpler and narrow down your choices. Personally, i like to dream and then acquire : )
You already seem to have taken into consideration the pitfalls of planar's. No real deep bass ( but hey, the $37,000 Krell's don't have it either), limited volume capability, the need for a healthy / sturdy amp, etc... No need to go there again. I will remind you about room placement though. These work best slightly spread apart but with ample room on all sides and some attention to room treatments. If you can't get them out into the room ( probably well into the "traffic area" ), you'll never get optimum results.
As to your other options such as Martin Logan's, etc... i have to agree. The models that i recently heard ( just like you, can't remember the model ) sounded pretty poor. While i KNOW the installation was FAR from optimum, i couldn't believe just how bad they sounded. Not only was the top end NOT open, the bass was bloated and "thuddy". If someone from M/L is reading this, you BETTER start dropping in on your dealers to see how badly they are killing your product.
With that in mind, i would look at the 1.6's and subs rather than the bigger 3.6's running solo. This will make placement a LITTLE easier for the panels while increasing the speakers versatility for your specific listening tastes and habits. By running the subs, you'll not feel the need to crank it up as much simply because the sound will be MUCH fuller at lower levels. Dynamic range and maximum sustained SPL can be increased due to the panels not having to make long excursions to cover the extreme bottom end. That is, IF crossed over before the amplifier. This can be done either actively or passively without a lot of fuss.
No first hand experience with what subs would work best here, so i would have to divert you to someone else. General consensus is that the Rel's seem to work good with "panels". You might also look for something with a small woofer ( 8" or so ) that is in a transmission line or larger woofer ( 10" or 12" ) in a sealed low Q design. All of the above would offer the very tight, clean and quick bass that you're looking for.
RGD's suggestion of popping over to the Planar Asylum is also a good suggestion. Just don't forget us back here : ) Sean
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